Farmer’s plea
over turbine

A FARMER has hit out at planners who granted permission for a wind turbine near his land, after casing from the machine was ripped off by gales and crashed into fencing.

Nick Denniff, of The Hawthorns farm, off the B6054 road, at Holmesfield, was so concerned as strong winds took a hold last week he took his horses in and later discovered the damaged turbine and casing, last Tuesday morning, January 3.

He said: “We originally raised concerns about this possibility to NE Derbyshire District Council who approved a developer’s planning application for this wind turbine too near our fields and close to a nearby lane.

“We still want the turbine removed and we’ve complained to the council and we don’t want other people to go through this kind of problem elsewhere.”

Mr Denniff said the wind turbine was put up in 2007.

A council spokesman said: “The original planning application was assessed on its merit with all representations taken into account, and it was judged to be an acceptable development. Ultimately the maintenance and safety of structure is the responsibility of the owner.”

The damage was followed by severe gales and winds in the region during last Thursday evening and Friday morning which reached speeds of up to 90mph.

These winds caused a lorry to over turn on the A628 Woodhead Pass and they felled trees causing road closures and traffic delays in Derbyshire.

There were felled trees and road closures on the A5012 Via Gellia Road, at Bonsall, and the Robin Hood Road, at Whatstandwell.

The M1 southbound carriageway between junctions 30 and 29, near Chesterfield, also suffered slow moving traffic and the A38 suffered queuing traffic.